Mavs Open To Trading Deron Williams, Jazz Interested

The Jazz have expressed interest in bringing Deron Williams back to Utah through a trade with the Mavericks, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. The scribe adds that Dallas is open to trading both Williams and Andrew Bogut before the deadline, but he cautions that no deal is imminent.

The point guard is making $9MM this season and since it was a one-year deal with the same team he played for in the prior season, he has the right to block any trade. MacMahon adds that Williams still has a home in the Salt Lake City area and he enjoys Utah. He was drafted by the Jazz with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2005 draft before being traded to the Nets midway through the 2010/11 campaign.

The Jazz are roughly $13.6MM under the salary cap, but they do have 15 players under contract, as the team’s depth chart at Roster Resource indicates, so they would need to either send back or waive a player to complete a deal.

George Hill will likely remain the starter, but he’s missed 25 games this season because of injury. The team is 23-9 with Hill in the lineup, but just 12-13 when he’s unable to play. Utah could use depth at the point guard spot as it looks to make the playoffs for the first time since trading away Williams.

View Comments (10)